When unlikely attraction blossoms between a twentysomething genderqueer tattoo artist and an older, small-town veterinarian, both are forced to face their pasts for a chance at a loving future. Four years ago Padraig Donovan lost his husband, the only man he’d ever been with. Now his life consists of the work he loves, a big empty house, and the possibility of a lonely future. Kaos’s experiments with makeup landed him in the hospital at the hands of his disapproving ex. With nowhere else to turn, he flees to Acker, Wisconsin ... and runs into a sexy widower and the kindest man he’s ever met. Padraig and Kaos know there’s something worth exploring between them, and as they raise a puppy and deal with the ups and downs of their respective jobs, they fit into each other’s lives in ways they never expected. Being with Kaos -- who is so different than the guys he’s always been attracted to -- opens up an exciting new world for Padraig. But can he convince Kaos to trust another man with his body ... let alone his heart?

Four

“That’s the gruesome one,” Padraig answered honestly. “It’s called an intracardiac stick. It means going through here and sticking it directly into his heart.” He carefully patted the bunny on the spot.


Mr. Lee seemed to consider it for a while. “Which would you prefer? For him, I mean. If I wasn’t here?”


“It takes time to inject the solution, so I’d probably go with the heart. More direct approach.”


“All right. Then we go with that one. This isn’t about me—it’s about Sir Rodger, after all,” Mr. Lee said solemnly, and Padraig reached to touch the man on the arm for comfort.


The rest of it went smoothly. The rabbit didn’t twitch like some animals would, and Padraig sent a thank-you to the universe for that, like he did each time when everything went fine. Mr. Lee looked away during the jab, concentrating on petting his beloved rabbit instead.


Chapter 8